Two Sides of the Same Coin
by sumerjoy11
Summary: My own take on how Duncan and Gwen end up as a couple in TDWT, and Courtney's reaction to the situation.
1. Duncan's Confrontation

Duncan heaved a sigh as he watched Courtney sashay away from him. He had just been brought back into the game, despite quitting in the first episode of the season. You can imagine how disgruntled he was. To make matters worse, his girlfriend greeted him by henpecking over how he "deserted" her, then endeavored to rectify it by admitting just how much she missed him.

_I'm sure Princess really did miss me._ The delinquent thought as he strolled to the cargo hold, his hands shoved in his pockets. _She probably missed having me to bark orders at._

Leaning against a crate, Duncan slowly sank to the ground, then dug out his knife. With a sigh, he began carving into the wooden box. "Yupp, it's good to be back," he grumbled.

"Duncan?"

"G-Gwen!" Duncan exclaimed, springing to his feet. "H-Hey, uh, how did you find me here?"

"It was simple, really," the goth girl replied, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "You grumble a lot, y'know."

"W-Why are you here?"

"I, um, I saw that you, uh, looked kinda ticked, so I just wanted to see if you were ok," Gwen said, rubbing her arm. "Of course, if you wanna be alone, I can..."

"No! No, you're fine! You're fine!"

"So, is everything ok?" Gwen asked, taking a step toward him.

Duncan sighed. "I may as well tell someone," he said, sitting back on the ground. "You're the only one who really listens to me, anyway."

"Doesn't Courtney listen?" Gwen inquired as she occupied the empty spot beside him.

"Psh, are you kidding? She can barely hear what I have to say over her constant nagging. I can barely even hear myself think. All I hear is, 'Blah blah, Duncan! Blah blah, CIT! Blah blah, lawyers!'"

Gwen laughed into her pale hands. "Hey, you're good at that."

"Well, after listening to that for three seasons, I caught on pretty fast."

"Alright, now tell me what's on your mind. I'm all ears."

"Ok, here goes," he sighed. "Courtney...she's changed. She's not that fun girl I snuck with into the Chef's food tent, or got heart shaped tattoos with. All she's focused on now is her lawyers, or winning. I don't even feel like she loves me for, well, me. The girl gave me a freakin' _contract_ of our relationship, and how I had to go by every little thing she had listed! What kind of sane person does that?! Man, I feel like I'm trapped in a never ending nightmare with her, and it won't stop!"

Gwen frowned as Duncan buried his face in his hands.

"I've kept that in me for so long," Duncan admitted. "I never told anyone until now. Not even Courtney. I don't know what to do, Gwen. I just don't know."

"Do you still love her?"

Duncan slowly rose his head to face Gwen, his frown deepening. "I'm not even sure anymore."

"Well, there's your answer."

"What do you mean?"

"Duncan, isn't obvious? If you can't even say whether or not you love her, then it's time to break up with her. End this. You stand up to her, and you tell her exactly what's bothering you. Put her in her place. Trust me, it's the last thing she'll expect."

"Psh, yeah, since she acts like she wears the pants in this relationship," Duncan said, rolling his eyes.

"Now it's your turn to wear the pants," Gwen said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Show her who's boss."

"Y'know, I really missed you," Duncan smiled softly, resting his hand on hers.

"Y-You did?" Gwen stammered, her cheeks rosy with blush.

"That whole 'thinking of you while running away from the cops' comment wasn't aimed at Courtney, y'know. I meant _you_."

The goth girl gasped. She bit her lower lip, scooting away from him slightly. "D-Duncan, I can't do that to her. I just can't."

"So... You don't feel the same?"

"No, it's not that! A-Actually, I do. I've been crushing on you for a pretty good long time. I mean, I've never had a guy who actually enjoyed watching Blood Bath II: Summer Camp Reign of Terror with me, or Alien Chunks. Trent hated those movies. I can be myself around you. Plus, you're slightly saner than Trent," Gwen giggled.

"Gwen," Duncan said, holding her hands. "I really like you."

"I know!" She groaned. "But it just can't work between us! If Courtney found out, she'd kill me! We're actually becoming good friends!"

"Then I'll end things with her." The delinquent shrugged. "I wanna give this a try, Gwen. You're the only girl who understands me, and I see that now. I don't wanna screw up this opportunity. Just give us a chance. I won't go cuckoo over you like Trent did. I won't hurt you. I swear."

Gwen studied Duncan's face, gazing into his eyes. It was rare to see the juvenile delinquent with such a serious, yet, emotional expression. Were his words really sincere? There was only one way to find out.

"If you're so sure," the goth girl said as she shifted closer to him. "Then why not?"

Cupping his face, Gwen leaned in, planting her lips on Duncan's. Her body tingled as she felt Duncan's hands roam to her hips, pulling her closer to him. As she climbed into his lap, Duncan ran a hand up and down her back, then let it rest on her bottom. Feeling his tongue slip into her mouth, Gwen pulled away, placing a hand on his chest.

"Not so fast." The goth girl smirked. "Let's not rush things."

"Sorry, um, I guess I got too into the moment," Duncan said, smiling sheepishly.

"We can save that for another time. For now, you need to break up with Courtney before she finds out about us. I just hope we're not being taped. If this gets leaked, we're screwed."

"Big time," Duncan said as he stood, straightening out his shirt. "Wish me luck."

Peering over his shoulder, Duncan winked as he walked out of the room. Gwen sighed, smiling to herself as she shook her head. She felt a great need to gush over the first kiss she experienced with her crush within the confidential walls of the confessional, but deep down, she knew she had to keep it to herself. After all, they weren't officially together yet. Some ugly business had to be dealt with first.

Silently, Gwen shadowed Duncan as he approached Courtney in the first class section, who was sitting alone by a window. Gwen observed the couple's every move. First, Duncan approached Courtney with a serious expression. Next, she could see Duncan raising his voice at Courtney, the former CIT flinching. The delinquent's face then softened as the frown on Courtney's face slowly formed into a crestfallen one. It looked as if Duncan were about to say something more before Courtney sprinted toward the confessional, her hands covering her face. As Courtney raced past her, Gwen concealed herself within the shadows. She peeked out once the coast was clear, only to see Duncan sink into a chair, a rather desolate look on his face.

"Duncan?" Gwen asked as she slowly approached him.

"It's over with, and I feel like crap because of it."

"It had to be done, Duncan. There was no wrong in what you did. You were upfront and honest with her."

"I'm not gonna hear the end of this as long as I'm here, and neither will you. Y'know that, right?"

"Yes, I know," Gwen sighed. "I guess this show's called Total _Drama_ for a reason."

"Hey, at least we're dealing with this crap together."

"Yeah," the goth girl replied, smiling softly. "I guess we are."

"Through and through," Duncan said, gently grabbing a hold of one of her hands.

The goth girl and the juvenile delinquent shared an endearing smile, only to pull apart as Heather entered the room.

"Eww, keep away! Your bad fashion sense may be contagious!" Heather said as she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The pair watched as the Queen Bee stomped out of the room. They turned to face each other with a shrug. They knew trouble was heading their way, but they also knew that no matter what drama they would have to face, they would face it together.


	2. Courtney's Revelation

"And how could you think it was ok to just leave like that?! Because it was NOT!" Courtney growled. "Abandon me again, and it will NOT be pretty!" The former CIT was reunited with her delinquent boyfriend after he quit the third season in the first episode. She had just said everything that was on her mind over these past few weeks, and it was not pretty.

Courtney took notice to the aggravated look on Duncan's face. "Get over here you big lug!" Her frown softened into a sweet smile as she gently embraced the juvenile delinquent. "I-I'm not really mad. I just missed you," she said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Every time I ran from the cops, I thought of you," Duncan replied.

The Type A pulled away slightly so she could smile up at him. For a moment, it seemed that Duncan was focused on something else before his eyes laid on hers. "You really thought of me?" She asked.

"Of course, babe," he answered. "Who else would I think of?"

Courtney was about to say the name of a certain girl she was suspicious of, but she decided not to. Duncan wasn't the type of guy who would openly admit his feelings. When he said he thought of her while he was gone, Courtney could feel a spark within her heart. She thought perhaps this was the start of something beautiful. Now that Duncan was back, they could work out their relationship. The former CIT had many ideas as to how it would work. Those ideas were on a list she planned on giving to Duncan at some point. It had yet to be finished, but she knew deep down that Duncan would become the perfect boyfriend with the help of her beloved list.

"Well, I got things to do," Courtney said. She smiled, hooding her onyx eyes. "I'll catch you later." As the tan girl sashayed away from Duncan, she looked back at him once more before entering the first class section.

"Ooooo! Someone looks happy!" Sierra exclaimed as Courtney entered. "I bet it has to do with Duncan!" The fan girl squealed. "You two are the top couple of Total Drama! Everyone loves you guys! Duncney lives on!"

"T-Thanks," Courtney replied with an awkward grin. Sitting as far from Sierra as she could, Courtney whipped out her unfinished list. "I've got some editing to do," she said, smiling to herself.

Courtney had gotten about halfway into her list when she heard a voice next to her say, "So, your psycho path of a boyfriend's back, huh? Or should I even say he's your boyfriend."

"Is that the best you can come up with, Heather?" Courtney said as she turned to the Queen Bee with an unamused expression. "And what exactly did that last part mean?"

"Isn't obvious that Gwen is drooling over him? I'm just warning you that you better keep a close eye on Duncan, or you may lose him before you finish...whatever that list is for," Heather said before standing up and walking away.

Heather was no dummy. She was very manipulative and made it her job to mess with people's heads. Courtney, in her own mind, was no dummy either. She knew Heather's tricks, and therefore, decided that she wouldn't let the Queen Bee get under her skin. Though, something did trouble her at the moment. She glanced around, and sure enough, her troubled feeling intensified. She hadn't seen Gwen since bringing Duncan back, and Duncan was nowhere to be found either.

"H-He's probably in the confessional," Courtney said to herself, smiling nervously. "A-And Gwen's probably...who knows where. Everything's fine. Duncan and I are fine. It's all good." It was at that moment that Courtney clutched her list close to her chest. Her eyes grew wide and sweat poured down her face. "I should look for him."

Just as the former CIT rose from her seat, she saw the very person that was on her mind. "Duncan," she said as her smile softened. "I was about to look for you."

"We need to talk," he said. The expression on his face was a solemn one, and this worried Courtney greatly.

"A-About what?" She answered nervously.

"About us. This isn't working."

"W-What?!" Courtney screamed. "Why not?! We're perfect together!"

"No, we're not!" Duncan shouted back.

The Type A flinched. Did he just raise his voice at her? She doesn't recall him ever doing that. Usually she was the one who did the yelling. "Duncan..."

"No, don't even try to change my mind like you've done many times before! I've had it with this relationship! I barely have any say in what we do! You have to be in control of everything! How I dress, how I act, who I talk to! It's all insane! _You're_ insane! I feel trapped with you, and nothing will change that! We're done, Courtney! DONE!" It took a moment for Duncan to calm down. The glare on his face softened when he noticed the tears filling in Courtney's eyes. He didn't think this would upset her too much. "Courtney, I'm..."

"D-Don't," she stuttered. "J-Just...don't!" She couldn't take anymore harsh words. Courtney buried her face in her hands and wailed as she ran to the confessional.

After locking herself in, Courtney sat in a fetal position on top of the toilet, sobbing into her knees. This had to be a nightmare.

"Wake up," she murmured as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Wake up!" Courtney slapped herself across the face. She gasped as she glanced at her surroundings. She was still in the confessional, and more tears were falling from her eyes. This was real. This was her reality. She had just lost the one guy she had come to love.

The rest of her time in the confessional consisted of sobbing, which turned into sniffles, then turned into silent tears. Courtney thought she heard knocking at the door, but she didn't answer. Nothing mattered to her at the moment. She had so many plans for her and Duncan. She hoped they would marry someday and have exactly two children. One boy and one girl. She never even had the chance to introduce him to her parents. Though, with how strict they were, they probably would have disowned Courtney on the spot if she brought Duncan into her home.

As she sat in silence, Courtney began thinking of how maybe this breakup was actually good for her. She thought of her first impression of the delinquent back in season one. He was completely opposite of her. He had no personal goals. He smelled. He was a complete flirt. He had a handsome smile.

_No! Stop it! _Courtney gripped her hair. _He's only holding you back from winning. That's all he's ever done. He's only held you back. I would've been in season two earlier had I not been paired with him. See? You can get over him! You can get over his beautiful blue eyes, and his sweet laugh, and... _"Argh!" Courtney made a fist and hit the wall. This was going to be difficult, especially since she would be near Duncan almost all the time. The thought of eliminating herself had popped into her head, but she immediately dismissed it. He wasn't going to hold her back anymore. No matter what, she was going to be strong and she was going to win.

Courtney was uncertain of how long she was in the confessional for. As she stepped out, she cautiously looked around to make sure no one was waiting for her. When she thought she was alone, Courtney slowly entered the first class section.

"Courtney?"

The voice behind the former CIT was all too familiar. "Yes, Gwen?" Courtney sighed.

"Courtney, I heard about what happened," the goth girl said as she laid a hand on Courtney's shoulder. "And I'm sorry. Will you be ok?"

"To be honest..." The Type A turned to Gwen with sad eyes. "I'm not sure."

"Need a shoulder?" Gwen opened her arms. A small smiled formed across her lips. Her smile widened when Courtney accepted her offer.

"Thanks Gwen," Courtney sniffled. "Y-Y'know, I thought you'd be a troublemaker like Duncan is, but I was wrong. You have a heart. More so than most people on this show. If anyone deserves to win besides me, it's you."

As Gwen rubbed her friend's back, the goth girl bit her lip. This was all her fault. It had to be done at some point, but she was the one who pushed Duncan to do it. What was worse was that she was practically dating the guy when he just broke up with Courtney. She felt terrible. At some point, she planned on telling her about Duncan, but for now, Gwen would be the shoulder for Courtney to cry on.

Any suspicion Courtney had of Gwen vanished once the goth girl comforted her. She never thought she'd find a friend in a girl like Gwen. But, there she was, hugging Gwen to the point where she almost didn't want to let go. Perhaps Gwen would be good for her. She didn't have many friends growing up, and it certainly wasn't too late to make one. She felt maybe Gwen could help her down the road of recovery from this brutal break up.

However, things would not go according to plan. Hidden in the shadows, someone had witnessed Courtney's worst fear. With an evil grin on his face, a certain host browsed through the images of his camera, which held scandalous information that could forever ruin the blossoming friendship between the goth and the former CIT.

"Oh, this is gonna be good."


End file.
